My BFF

I have a teenager. She is gorgeous. She is an A student. Parents like her, I like her. She is a blond but she dyes her hair brown. It looks good. I really like most of her friends. I trust her.

Some, some are just little bitches and some are just snotty bitches and some are just slutty bitches. Seventh, almost eighth graders. Thirteen....

When I was her age.... oh my. I started smoking cigarettes when I was twelve. And started smoking pot when I was about that same age. The first time I drank I was 12 and I even 5 finger discounted the Schlitz from 7-11, or was it Coors Lite? Whateve. The first night I drank I got super sick, at the movies, and then fell on my ass and not knowing it at the time, broke my coccyx. That doesnt heal for years and it hurts. My mom always though I was at the movies.

I did this drinking and smoking for years. Pimp beer and boonesfarm and smokes. It was a lot of planning and took a lot of balls to ask for some one of age to buy it.

I had a partner in crime. Stacey. OMG we had so much fun, laughs and trouble. We were so drama free and just wanted to be a good time and have a good time. We always succeeded.

We went to different schools so we wrote notes to each other through out the day and raced home to deliver them to each other. I so looked forward to them. They were always about our other friends, the guy we liked the lame teacher that we made fun of and how we wished we went to the same school. I still have many of those notes, they are funny and naughty and full of dreams and plans. I read them now and get such a kick out of the plotting for the Saturday night party and how are we gonna get there and who's house we can stay at.

We both had our own room phone and we would talk for hours. Daily. No email, myspace, text messaging or AIM. We just did it the old fashioned way. Stacey's voice from my youth is forever etched in my heart. As well as all the daring crazy unforgettable moments that have without a doubt shaped me into who I am today.

I was not a trustworthy teen. I was a good person, but I had a very wild side almost like I was two different people. I wonder if my mom knew that. Or did she not want to know that? She used to say we protected her. She never wanted to know what we did even when we had our own kids.

Stacey and I are still very good, if not great friends. I have known her since kindergarten. Thirty six years. Although we rarely see each other, I know without a doubt that she is the best friend of my life. My first love, my soul mate.

I thought about her today as I dropped my 13 year old off at the mall with her very best friend. I listened to them giggle and tell secrets and get text messages and answer their phones. I hope she is having as much fun as I did at her age and if she is I am going to fucking rain all over her parade and protect the hell out of her very gently and loving and never let her think she is ahead of me. I remember all the tricks. No sex or drugs for my kid.

I am so proud of Haley and I love her so much. I felt so much love for her and her friend and thank her for reminding me of the memories of my best friend that I had at her age.